A priest and three times the Camino

MANILA, Philippines - There are people who are born pilgrims. From those partaking in the Kumbh Mela of the Hindus, to the Hajj of the Muslims, to the sites across Asia marking significant milestones in the life of Buddha, and to tracing the history of Christianity through sojourns to Jerusalem and Rome, there is something special with being driven by the compulsion to fulfill a spiritual desire through travel.

For many Catholics, their experience of the holy involves destinations of devotion such as Lourdes, Fatima and Guadalupe. Often, it is a time for genuine bonding with family and dear friends, or a personal adventure undertaken on its own as part of a bucket-list of life and faith.

One such path is the Way of St. James or the Camino de Santiago, a pilgrimage that can begin in various locations in France, Spain or Portugal, but ultimately culminates at the Cathedral of the Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain. It is very popular — que esta de moda — with devotees from everywhere making their way through different routes to the final resting place of one of Christ’s most celebrated apostles.

Most believers and tourists undergo the singular experience of the Camino just once, completing the minimum requirement of walking at least 100 kilometers and being granted the compostela, and with the celebration of Pilgrims’ Mass being the climax of their journey.

However, one Filipino priest named Fr. Manuel Leandro Domingo Jr. of the Salesian Community of St. John Bosco Parish in Makati City has done the walk thrice — yes, thrice — and yet he intends to go for the fourth time soon.

His experiences are documented in a photo exhibit which was launched at the lobby of the Don Bosco Technical Institute and has since been showcased in different cities. He is regularly invited to deliver inspirational talks on the Camino, giving tips to aid first-time goers, convening with those who have done it in the past and offering spiritual guidance.

On his first trip, Fr. Manny took the Camino Frances route from St. Jean-Pied-de-Port, France. He walked 775 kilometers, taking him a little over a month, while in his second, he started from Le Puy-en-Velay, France for the Via Podiensis way, with a total distance of 1,515 kilometers in two months time. On his third, he chose the Via de la Plata from Seville, Spain, traveling 989 kilometers in a span of 40 days.

All in all, a grand total 3,279 kilometers!

I was intrigued with the fact that he has completed the journey three times. Recently, we chanced upon each other. I felt I needed to ask him to share his reasons why he frequents the Camino.

And this is what he had to say. Let’s listen in.

1. The Camino grants me my alone time with God in silence, solitude and serenity. It is a blessed time to reflect deeply and to pray even without words. I go through an experience of doubt, fear, uncertainly and anger to a sense of acceptance, peace and calm. Through it all, I trust God and His providence and I let go of fears, doubts and uncertainties.

2. There are surprises each and every day, no better word to express than “blessings.” There is always a sense of adventure and exploration. It’s about getting out of the box, getting out of my comfort zones and being free of schedules, deadlines and appointments. I get a chance to visit, pray and celebrate Mass every day in incredibly beautiful churches along the Camino and receive the Pilgrim’s Blessing after and the possibility to converse and celebrate Mass in French and Spanish is positively thrilling.

3. It is a test of endurance for the length of the walk each day and for the duration of the entire Camino. Each stage of the Camino is a challenge — the punishing heat of summer, the long distance walk each day, watching out for the directional signs of the Camino in the absence of a map. It makes me face my fears — being and walking alone in a path I have never walked before, the possibility of getting lost and actually getting lost, facing the unknown. I push myself to the limit as I ask how far I can go and how much can I endure.

4. One becomes anonymous without losing one’s personality and individuality. There is awareness of the present moment — of my breathing, my walking, my movements, my very self and others. One gains a profound sense of gratitude for the blessings of each day instead of an attitude of entitlement and forever demanding — a pilgrim gives thanks, a tourist demands.

5. I love the feeling of being content with the barest of necessities, and the liberation I have when I unburden myself not just of the physical burden of my knapsack but also of my spiritual, emotional, psychological burdens. I treasure the life of simplicity, sacrifice and detachment that the Camino fosters. It is a welcome momentary isolation from the world of bad news, with no TV, no newspaper and no news.

6. I behold beautiful sceneries while doing the Camino: Being on top of a mountain, passing through vineyards, wheat fields, sunflowers in full bloom, fruit laden trees like apples, figs, plums, cherries, peaches, crossing rivers and lakes, spending the night in villages preserving their medieval charm, visiting and praying in centuries–old churches. I stayed in different kinds of lodgings, former castles, farmhouses, monasteries, tents, rectories, churches and even homes of kind and generous people.

7. It is a gastronomical adventure of sampling and savoring the various cuisine and vintage, typical of the regions, towns and villages along the Camino. The delight of pastries, cakes, ice cream and the range of different desserts without the fear of extra poundage because you get to enjoy the healthy benefit of walking, breathing fresh air and losing weight even without dieting!

8. I value the friendship that develops throughout the Camino and beyond — the interaction with other pilgrims, strangers at the beginning but who later became my friends and my family during the Camino. We shared meals and stories together, establishing trust and friendship, as we experienced the good in people and got moved by the care pilgrims show for each other. The Camino becomes a pocket of peace, unity and brotherhood, where pilgrims from different countries, religions, ages and backgrounds come together as a family, literally walking together, sharing the same dream, enduring the challenges of every day, rejoicing and congratulating each other at the Praza do Obradoiro and even praying together at the Cathedral of Saint James during the Pilgrims’ Mass.

9. I have a feeling of being connected with and counted among pilgrims of the past thousand years who have also walked the very same path I am walking, among them El Cid, St. Francis of Assisi, Henry of Blois, Jakub Sobieski, Lorenzo de Medici, St. Elizabeth of Portugal, Bishop Godescalc of Le Puy, Shirley Maclaine and Paulo Coelho.

10. There is an indescribable feeling of joy and achievement upon reaching La Catedral de Santiago de Compestela and being reunited with co-pilgrims I’ve meet along the way and then receiving my compostela, as proof of my Camino. Deo volente, my fourth time will be in celebration of my 25th year of priesthood, Dec. 7, 1991 to Dec. 7, 2016. In gratitude to God and our Blessed Mother for this special grace and gift, I hope and pray to do yet another Camino either from Paris or from Arles.